Wishing For Rain
by ThankMeWhenIt'sWednesday
Summary: Caroline is given five wishes. Five wishes that she spends on love, life, and second chances. She wakes up the next morning in an alternate universe where her simplest dreams have come true. However, she's soon painfully reminded of the age-old saying - "Be careful what you wish for." Forwood & Steroline, set right after season 3 ends. AU/AH.
1. Prologue: Hook Me Up

**Hey, guys! Thanks for checking this out! :) There are other stories I should be working on, but this idea kind of popped into my head and I just had to write it. Which isn't good, because I have other stories I should be updating :P**

**Anyway, I don't own The Vampire Diaries, "Hook Me Up" by the Veronicas, or the Happy Days theme song :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Prologue: Hook Me Up**

"I'm tired of my life, I feel so in-between

I'm sick of all my friends, girls can be so mean

I feel like throwing out everything I wear

Starting over new, 'cause I'm not even there

Sometimes, I wanna get away some place

But I don't wanna stay too long

Sometimes, I want a brand new day . . . "

-Hook Me Up by the Veronicas

* * *

"_Sunday, Monday, Happy Days!_

_Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days!_

_Thursday, Friday, Happy Days!_

_The weekend comes, my 'cycle hums, ready to race to you!"_

Caroline rolled her eyes in disgust. "_Happy Days_, my ass. More like _Crappy Days,_" she muttered bitterly, the flashing images on the TV illuminating her face in the darkness of her living room. She turned on TV Land in an attempt to get her mind off things, maybe even bring a brief smile to her face. _Yeah, right_. Instead of wholesome programming from a much simpler time, she was slapped in the face with undying optimism. How unrealistic.

She felt around the couch a bit without tearing her eyes away from the screen, too lazy and uncaring to physically look for the remote with her eyes. She began to channel surf, not really wanting to watch anything in particular.

Caroline didn't care much about anything anymore. She was just apathetic, empty. Which made sense – the love of her life died less than a week ago. As melodramatic and full of cliché teen angst as it was, she truly didn't want to go on living without him. She would, of course, but it didn't make her life any easier.

And it wasn't like her so-called friends were any help in this grieving process. Nope. Not a single person had stopped by, made a phone call, or done something as simple as sending a text, just to say hi. Nope, they were all too busy helping Elena cope with her recent change in mortality status. Because, y'know, the whole freaking universe revolves around her. Elena says "Jump," and the world enthusiastically responds "How high?" As usual, Elena was everyone's first choice, and Caroline was once again second best. That was just the way it was, the way it is, and the way it always would be.

The ringing of the doorbell brought her train of thought to a standstill. She furrowed her brows, glancing at the clock. It was well past midnight. _Who the hell could that be? _Sure, she had just been wishing for someone to check up on her, but this was a little extreme. In fact, she almost wanted to retract her wish and use it on something else. She didn't have enough fingers to count all the things she'd rather have.

Moaning and groaning, Caroline forced herself off the couch and made her way to the front door. Needless to say, she was shocked to find herself face to face with none other than Stefan Salvatore. Elena's boyfriend.

_Well, this is weird. Like _American Horror Story _weird._

She opened the door tentatively, curious as to why he was here. If he hunted her down in person it probably wasn't good news he was bearing.

Even though there was a friendly smile spread across his face.

"Stefan?" she asked, brows furrowed. "You do know what time it is, right?"

"Um, yeah," he said apologetically. "Now's not an inconvenience or anything?"

She glanced down at her Hello Kitty pajamas and wondered if he really thought she was up to something. In these clothes? Please.

"No. I guess not," Caroline shrugged, then motioned towards the dim living room. "Just having a quiet night in. Come in?"

Stefan nodded, and followed her into the dark house. She went through the usual hostess spiel, he asked her how she was doing – she wasn't even one-hundred percent sure what she said, her heart really wasn't in it and her mind wasn't on it. As much as she liked Stefan, she wanted him to go away more than anything. She just wanted to just curl up on the couch and continue to sulk. If she was lucky, she might even work up the tears to cry again.

Stefan politely sat himself down on the couch next to her. Without a word, Caroline grabbed the remote and set the television on mute. After setting the glass coffee table, she pulled her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her eyes were still on the now soundless figures on the television. There was a moment of silence between the two – Caroline waiting on Stefan's words, and Stefan waiting on her attention.

A switch from the way things usually were.

"Caroline," Stefan said her name softly, his tone conveying a request for eye contact. Reluctantly, she turned her head to face him.

He sighed deeply, collecting his words. "Caroline," he stated her name again, starting what she imagined was going to be a long-winded lecture about how much Elena needed her; that she needed to get her act together and help her friend transition. That was typically his angle.

"I know losing Tyler wasn't easy. Trust me, I've been there. I'm still there."

_Blah, blah, blah. I know where this is going, _Caroline began to prepare herself to reject his plea before he even asked.

"It's a wound that doesn't feel like it will ever heal, and no amount of band-aids will ever make it better . . . Well, I . . ."

For the first time that Caroline could remember, Stefan Salvatore was at a loss for words.

"I brought you something." He said finally.

Caroline tried to hide her shock. "You did?"

Stefan nodded, and preceded to reach into the inside pockets of his coat. Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Only Stefan would wear a coat with pockets on the inside. It was 2012, not 1900.

"Wait, it's not band-aids, is it?"

"No," Stefan chuckled. "I sincerely hope you don't think I'm that tacky."  
"Never," Caroline emitted her first genuine laugh since . . .

Her mood fell somber again as Stefan pulled the mysterious object from his coat.

Caroline wasn't sure what to expect. "Stefan" and "surprises" weren't two words often associated with each other.

"Surprise" ended up being the word most fitting when he pulled out a sparkly, purple magic wand. It was only about a foot in total length, obviously meant for a young girl. Caroline was at a loss for words.

"Oh my – wow," she sputtered, graciously taking the lavender stick with a giant star on the end. "Um, thank you." Another amused laugh escaped her lips.

Stefan grinned in return. "Mrs. McGrady was giving them away."

That was all the explanation Caroline needed. Mrs. McGrady was Mystic Falls' resident cat lady. She dressed like one of those so-called psychics you see at the circus; she was always had a table set up in her front yard, for selling the oddest toys and trinkets, claiming they had "magic powers." Kids often took joy in mocking her, behind her back and sometimes to her face. Those of a more mature disposition would either make polite, forced conversation or just stay away from her neck of the woods altogether.

"I was passing by earlier, and she told me to take it. Free of charge."

Caroline curiously looked from the lavender wand, to Stefan, and back again.

"I don't know why she'd thought I'd want it either," Stefan agreed, catching and immediately interpreting the look on her face.

"According to Mrs. McGrady, it's good for five wishes," he stated, obviously not believing it. "And I figured if anyone I knew needed it, it'd be you."

Caroline froze for a split second, then looked back up at Stefan. She shook her head disbelievingly. _Don't get your panties in a twist,_ she chided herself,_ it's just a coincidence._

"You're right," she smiled at him warmly. "Thank you, Stefan." She suddenly leaned over and engulfed her fellow vampire friend in an unexpected bear hug. After the shock wore off, Stefan returned the gesture.

After pulling away, Stefan motioned at the wand. "Apparently, before you go to bed, you wave it in a counterclockwise circle three times and make the first wish, like so," he gently grabbed onto Caroline's wrist and demonstrated. "Then you do it three times the other way for the second, and back to counterclockwise from the third, and so on. _Then, _you stick the wand under your pillow and when you wake up tomorrow, you're wishes should come true." Stefan made a sarcastic jazz-hand gesture during the end part of that sentence.

Caroline crinkled her nose, grinning. "That's . . . weird."

"That's Mrs. McGrady."

Stefan's cell phone went off, and – big shocker – he pulled it out of his inside coat pocket. Reading the text message, Stefan's grin fell off of his face. Seeing the look on his face, Caroline felt a pang of . . . of what? She wasn't sure. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Everything okay?"

Stefan simultaneously sent a response and answered her question. "Yeah. Elena's just going through a lot of blood, a lot more than she should be. Damon needs me to bring home more blood, refill the blood bank."

Caroline nodded. She could slowly feel her chatty self bubbling back, but the feeling was ruined when she was dropped back into the real world.

Putting his phone away, Stefan looked at Caroline apologetically. "I should probably go, I'm sorry."

Caroline waved her hand dismissively. "You gotta do what you need to do."

She led him back to the door, and after another goodbye hug, Stefan took off into the night.

* * *

An hour later, Caroline was sitting cross-legged on her bed, staring at the wand – which she named Matilda.

"What the hell," she muttered. Picking it up, she waved it counterclockwise, just like Stefan showed her.

"I wish Tyler wasn't dead."

She waved it the clockwise.

"I wish all this vampire crap didn't exist."

She waved it counterclockwise.

"I wish . . . I wish I could get a second chance at my senior year, do it the right way."

Clockwise.

"I wish my parents were back together."

Counterclockwise.

"I wish . . . I wish . . ." she squeezed her eyes shut, and shot out the first thing that came to mind. "I wish I could have the perfect kiss in the rain with the perfect guy and everything is just . . . perfect."

She opened her eyes, staring at the wand with skepticism written all over her face. Sighing, she tucked the wand under her pillow. She patted it a few times for extra measure.

Caroline leaned over to her bedside table and turned off her lamp, then settled in under her covers.

Resting her head on her pillow, she almost fell asleep immediately. Eyes drifting closed, she murmured to herself before going under completely.

"Okay, Matilda. Do your stuff."

* * *

**This is by no means my best work. Caroline was kinda OOC and the whole thing was pretty much all over the place :P Then again, she's grieving so it makes sense that she's not her usual chipper self . . .right? Right.**

**I don't have a lot of this story mapped out yet, but if you want me to keep going let me know! (In other words, I'd really appreciate reviews. I don't get better without criticism :D)**


	2. Chapter One: Chasing The Sun

**Hello, my fellow people of ! First off, can I just give a MASSIVE thank you to all of those who reviewed, subscribed and/or favorited this story? Seriously, people, I didn't expect this story to get anywhere _near _the response it did for a prologue. So thank you, thank you, thank you for that :)**

**That said, here is the official first chapter! :) I'm just gonna put a disclaimer here and it goes for this story from here on out, if that's alright - I don't own The Vampire Diaries, or any of the songs I reference in this story. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One: Chasing the Sun**

"I'm better, so much better now

I see the light, touch the light, we're together now

I'm better, so much better now

Look to the skies, give me life, we're together now."

-The Wanted

* * *

Caroline knew something was wrong before she even opened her eyes the next morning.

Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Muffled, like having the TV set at a low volume. Normally she could hear all sorts of things – birds chirping, neighbors going through their morning rituals, the splash of droplets from the sprinkler hitting individual blades of grass. Most noticeably, the sound of her mother's contented sigh as she sipped her morning coffee was silent as well. The soundtrack to her morning had gone mute, and it was disconcerting to say the least.

Her eyes popped open in alarm, and her sight wasn't much better. It was like slipping on a pair of sunglasses, she could still see everything but the color scheme had shifted. It was duller, dimmer, less defined; vibrant colors had been diluted to a faded sheen, covered in murky shades of grey.

Caroline forced herself up into a sitting position while aggressively rubbing her eyes, wailing a frustrated "Oh my God, I'm blind!" She tentatively removed her hand, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

She got the worst.

A tidal wave of panic washed over her, but she surprised herself by not drowning in it. Brow furrowing, Caroline connected the dots in her head and gasped at the clear picture it painted – she would no longer wake up with a burning hunger in her throat, she would no longer hear the pulsing of her mother's heartbeat from downstairs, and her senses would continue to _suck._

Caroline raced out of her bed and over to her window, throwing open the blinds to let in the already risen sun. She moved into a shaded area, and pulled off her daylight ring. Breathing deeply, she slowly reached her hand into the path of daylight. Caroline bit her lip, prepared for the moment when her skin would inevitably begin to burn.

She watched in anticipation. Her hand remained the same. No burning, no bubbling, no intense pain. Laughing out her relief, Caroline extended her hand farther into the shining sunlight, and felt nothing but warmth. Not a single sizzle of pain.

Caroline practically jumped into the light streaming in, immersing herself in sunshine. She soaked it in, breathing a sigh of contentment. Even with her daylight ring, contact with the sun didn't feel . . . natural. It was like wearing wet clothes or an itch she couldn't scratch – she could tolerate it, but it wasn't one hundred percent comfortable. This was the first time in a long time that she could bask in the sun and didn't feel the slightest bit irritated.

"Caroline – Hon, what are you doing?"

Caroline stood frozen in the sun's warmth at the sound of the voice. She whipped around, not believing her ears. She certainly couldn't believe her eyes.

But she did anyway.

"Dad?" she breathed in disbelief.

Bill Forbes cocked his head to the side, furrowing his eyes. "Yeah, Care. Is everything okay in–" Caroline sprinted across her room and threw her arms around her father. Slowly and tentatively, with a hint of awkwardness, he eased into the gesture; patting her back a few times, Bill glanced down at his quirky, unpredictable daughter. "Holding on a little tight there, are we?"

Caroline closed her eyes, her head resting in the familiar territory of his chest. She hadn't hugged her dad in years, hadn't _really_ hugged him. After everything that had down in the last few months, she never thought she'd get this opportunity again. There were so many words on her tongue, words in her heart. She wasn't sure she could express them all. God knows she could try.

Choking back happy tears, Caroline murmured against his chest. "I love you, Daddy."

Bill endearingly kissed the crown of her head, and squeezed. "I love you, too, Care Bear." She chuckled at his old nickname for her. He gave her one last pat on the back and then pulled away, one hand resting on her shoulder. "Your mom and I were about to make some blueberry waffles. Want to join us?"

Caroline couldn't help the ecstatic grin that spread across her face at his use of "your mom and I." Blinking away stubborn tears, Caroline smiled warmly. "I'd love to." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'll be down soon, okay?"

Bill returned her smile, an exact replica of her own. "Take your time, pumpkin." After ruffling her hair affectionately, Bill exited out of the room.

Caroline belly-flopped onto her bed and reached under her pillow, where Matilda the Wand still resided. She eyed the wand curiously, with a dash of suspicion. This was surely a dream, and she was bound to wake up for real any second now.

But that didn't mean she couldn't take advantage of it while it lasted.

Sucking in her cheeks and furrowing her brows, Caroline tried to recall each and every wish she made the previous night.

Due to the fact that she's obviously no longer a vampire and her dad was not only alive and kicking, but happily downstairs making blueberry waffles with her mom, it was safe for her to assume that _those_ particular wishes came true. But the others . . .

Tyler. She had wished Tyler wasn't dead.

Before she even realized she'd done it, Caroline reached for her phone on her bedside table and dialed Tyler's number. She anxiously tapped her finger against Matilda's glittery star as she desperately waited for him to pick up. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Hope or don't hope, that's the question. Her life, her heart, and her sanity pretty much depended on whether or not Tyler had enough sense to answer his damn phone.

Of course, that's only possible if he was-

_Nope. Don't even go there._

-alive.

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut tighter, her heart sinking lower in her chest with every passing second.

"C'mon, Tyler. Please, please, please, please, _please _answer your phone," she prayed.

The ring cut off suddenly and the voice of her love took over.

_"Hey, it's Tyler. I'm obviously not here, so you know what to do after the beep." _

Heaving a sigh of relief – that really came out almost like a laugh – Caroline waited for said beep. Was this exactly what she wanted? No. But it's better than what she got three days ago when she called Tyler's phone just to hear the number had been disconnected.

Caroline ran a hand over her face, so excited and happy and _in love_ that she didn't know what to do with herself. She smiled like the lovestruck fool she was as she left a message on his voicemail.

"Hey, Tyler. It's me, Caroline. Y'know, in case the caller ID didn't . . . tell you," she briefly cringed in embarrassment. "_Anyway_, I guess I'm just calling to say hi. And I love you. And just call me when you get this, okay?" She couldn't help it; she had to say it one more time. "Love you, babe!"

Caroline hung up, soaring up and up towards cloud nine. She hadn't been up there in quite a while; and she was glad to say it felt more than amazing to be back.

She fell backwards onto her pillows, running her hands through her tangled hair. Nothing could dampen her complete joy.

Not even the fact that she could desperately use a comb. And a shower.

* * *

Driving down the quiet streets of Mystic Falls, she sped past another green light with one goal in mind – to see Tyler as soon as possible. She still hadn't heard from him, Normally she tried to tone down her obsessive clingy girlfriend behaviors, but she figured in this particular case an exception was necessary.

She did watch Tyler die after all.

She cringed at the thought, and physically shook her head to clear it out.

Pulling into the Lockwoods' expansive driveway, which honestly looked more like a hotel entrance. She always expected some cute bellboys in those spiffy little suits to just strut right out of the front door as she pulled up – she would hand her keys to one while the other grasped her hand as she gracefully got out of the vehicle, as if she were fresh off a photo shoot for _Vogue_ or something. Once she was safely making her way up the stairs they would speed off towards the valet parking lot that the Lockwood undoubtedly kept hidden away somewhere. Because they were seriously that loaded.

Caroline's imagination took off of as to what she would do with Tyler once she was actually _inside_ the mansion – and it definitely wasn't as G-rated as her bellboy fantasy. She hopped out of the car and began to make her way up the front steps.

Reaching the door, she took a slow, calming breath. With sudden vigor, she pushed the doorbell with enthusiasm. The melodic chiming that echoed inside spiked up her nerves again. Keeping an outward appearance of complete calm, Caroline searched her brain for a reason why she'd be anxious about seeing Tyler again and came up blank. Shifting her weight back and forth between her feet, she focused on transforming her unexplained set of nerves into complete excitement to keep mind her occupied while she waited.

A few seconds later, Caroline was once again caught off guard when one side of the double doors opened and she found herself face-to-face with none other than Tyler Lockwood. She inhaled sharply, sizing him up. She hadn't seen him in almost a week and words couldn't describe the euphoria that poured into her.

She didn't think she needed words when her face-covering grin and tear-brimmed eyes said it all.

"Forbes!" Tyler bellowed, eyebrows raised in a mischievous manner.

Apparently, Tyler wasn't fluent in body language.

He leaned casually against the doorframe, appraising her fondly with a slice of suspicion. "Either you've come to apologize, or to stick the other foot in your mouth."

It was safe to say this was not quite the reunion she was expecting. His words sunk in at the same rate as her stomach. This could not be good. Not good at all.

Catching the confused expression on her face, Tyler's dark eyebrows furrowed. "The voicemail you left," he stated slowly, wondering if his words would ring a bell. Deciding they didn't, he tried a different tactic. "Don't you think you should have maybe – I don't know – filled Matt in on whatever the hell is going on with you before you go hitting on me?"

"Fill Matt in? Why would I have to fill Matt in?"

Tyler cocked his head to the side; his body language voiced what he was really thinking – _Are you seriously asking me this?_ Realizing that yes, she was, he answered her plainly and pointedly.

"Because Matt's your boyfriend, Caroline."


End file.
